Funding

Grant

Research Program•Remote

John Hope Franklin Student Documentary Awards

Duke University Center for Documentary Studies

Application Deadline

Closed · February 27, 2026

Reopens ~Feb 2027

Official Page

Established in 1990, the John Hope Franklin Student Documentary Awards are administered by Duke University’s Center for Documentary Studies. They support registered undergraduates at four Triangle-area universities in carrying out sustained summer-long documentary fieldwork.

Projects may use oral history, photography, film/video, nonfiction or creative writing, or audio. The award is intended to support intensive student documentary work, and the next application cycle has not been announced.

Benefits & funding

  • The award provides grant support for summer-long documentary fieldwork projects.
  • The 2026 page does not state an amount; the latest official amount published for the 2025 cycle was up to $2,000.
  • The funding may support documentary fieldwork and research in the applicant’s chosen medium.

Eligibility

  • Applicants for 2026 had to be registered undergraduates at Duke University, North Carolina Central University, North Carolina State University, or the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
  • Students graduating in May 2026 remained eligible for that cycle.
  • Applicants were expected to show interest in documentary studies and the talent and skills needed for intensive documentary work.
  • No separate nationality, residency, age, gender, or work-experience requirement was published; enrollment at one of the four named universities was the explicit gate.

Can you apply?

Here's who can apply

Decoded from the official rules. A free account checks them against your passport, degree and age in seconds.

  • Education required

    Bachelor Enrolled

Check my eligibility — free

Circlebreaker is a free database of global fellowships, scholarships and programs — every one decoded like this.

We only check the criteria we have data for. Always confirm full eligibility on the official page before applying.

Application process

  1. 1
    Prepare a two-page narrative proposal describing the documentary project.
  2. 2
    Prepare a detailed project budget.
  3. 3
    Email both documents to kathy.julian@duke.edu with the specified JHF Student Documentary Award Application subject line by the deadline.

Program timeline

  1. Application deadline

    February 27, 2026

  2. Documentary fieldwork period

    Summer 2026

The monthly round-up

New fellowships, scholarships and programs, once a month. No account needed.